Monday, February 14, 2011

What's more fun than a barrel of monkeys? Solving equations using order of operations!

     Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally! Actually, there is no "Aunt Sally" but you'll wish there was so you could thank her for making your math troubles vanish into thin air. This is a mnemonic device which will help you solve all your tricky order of operations math conundrums. So how does it help? Glad you asked.
P lease- Parentheses
E xcuse- Exponents
M y- Multiplication
D ear- Division
A unt- Addition
S ally- Subtraction
     These are the steps you will use in this particular order to solve a problem when there are multiple operations to be used within a problem. If you do not use "PEMDAS" you will without doubt come to the wrong solution to your problem. Using PEMDAS, you will solve 3+2x3=? with the correct answer of 6. If you solve left to right as when reading, you will get the wrong answer of 15.
     And with that, prepare to dazzle and amaze your friends at parties and special events.
Let's say we have to solve this mysterious problem:
(3+4)-(7-3x2)=?
Well, we solve parentheses first.
(3+4)=7
But what about (7-3x2)
Ok, we solve the multiplication part before the subtraction part like so:
3x2=6
Now we have
7-6=1
That leaves us with the simplified problem of
7-1=6
Ta da! Thank you, you've been a great audience. I'll be here all week.

What?!? You're ready to try? Alright, have at it!

ROCKIN' MATH GAME ---> Math Frog Order of Operations game
KILLER ORDER OF OPERATIONS VIDEO  ----->



Embarassed old lady photo: Corbis Photos Add to Lightbox RF Royalty Free

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